The Italian government might be limiting the use of Russian anti-virus software in the public sector to avoid the possibility of cyber threats.
Indeed, the government is working on implementing rules to allow state bodies to stop using software developed by the Russia-based Kaspersky Lab, as it fears it could lead to the hack of their websites. These rules would then permit public administrations to replace all software that is thought dangerous with no penalties whatsoever.
The regulation has not been approved as of yet. There are some concerns that this new initiative will lead to illiberal legislation affecting Italian partners, families, and citizens. So far, Italy’s state cybersecurity agency stated that there was no evidence that Russian products were compromised.
Yet, it still issued a warning regarding Russian anti-virus software due to the growing conflict in Ukraine. Other European countries also issued a similar warning, such as Germany.
